


Tommy Bracco Rebels Against the Newsies Live Script

by GlitchyFaultyBitch



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Conlly is Great, I Don't Care That He's Married, I Worship Tommy, I had fun writing this, If This Happened IRL I Would Scream, Jeremy is Just Confused Like Why Tommy, Let's Pretend Jeremy is Secretly Bi, M/M, Mainly Just Tommy Loves Jeremy but Still, Newsies Live - Freeform, Screw Jeremy's Wife, So Uhhh Gay, Sorry Not Sorry, This Did Not Actually Happen, Tommy Bracco Is Gay For Jeremy Jordan, Tommy Loves Jeremy and Jeremy Loves Tommy, Tommy and Jeremy May Have Gotten Together After This, Tommy is Gay Because I Didn't Wanna Change That, Um What Else Can I Say?, What Was I Thinking?, Why Does No One Ship Conlly?, none of this makes any sense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 02:38:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20667935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitchyFaultyBitch/pseuds/GlitchyFaultyBitch
Summary: During a dress rehearsal for the recording of Newsies Live, Tommy Bracco (Spot Conlon) decides to experiment: What would happen after the rally if it weren't Kara Lindsay (Katherine Pulitzer) on the rooftop with Jeremy Jordan (Jack Kelly)?





	Tommy Bracco Rebels Against the Newsies Live Script

"...so's we'll go back to work," Jeremy Jordan as Jack Kelly continues while his actor peers surround him.

As Jeremy keeps talking, Tommy Bracco, playing Spot Conlon, is having odd thoughts.

'Hey, isn't that scene where Jack and Katherine meet on the rooftop next?' Tommy asks himself.  
'Is Kara up there yet?' 

Tommy glances up to the rooftop scenery, and he sees no sign of Kara Lindsay anywhere.  
She must be backstage getting ready to go up there.

'During that scene, Jeremy has to kiss Kara,' Tommy thinks.  
'But what if Kara's not up there?'

Tommy looks at Jeremy. Still saying his lines.

'But there's this one part right before Jack goes to the rooftop where I have to push Jeremy to start the whole incident. Maybe I can push Jeremy, then rush up to the rooftop to take over Kara's role this time.' 

"All you have to do is vote 'No!'. Vote 'No!'," Jeremy recites.

Then Tommy pushes him like he's supposed to.  
Immediately after that, Tommy rushes offstage.

Jeremy notices this.  
"Tommy, where are you going???" he mouths, looking at the short dark-haired actor as he runs off.

Jeremy audibly sighs as he continues following the script.

Tommy, though, is backstage climbing up the ladder in the back of the rooftop scenery. Right as Tommy stands where Kara was supposed to stand, Kara starts climbing up the ladder to get in her spot.

Kara raises an eyebrow at Tommy once she notices him. She makes sure to whisper while confronting him.  
"Tommy? What are you doing up here? You're supposed to be down there finishing up the rally scene."

Tommy shrugs.  
"I want to see what Jeremy'll say if I'm up here instead of you," he whispers back.

"That'll mess up the entire story," Kara tells him.  
"Spot saying Katherine's lines would make absolutely no sense."

"Who said I was saying Katherine's lines?" Tommy asks.  
"Jeremy and I can just improv everything."

"Jeremy is coming up, Tommy. Go back where you belong."

The Staten Islander shoos Kara off.  
"Kara, we can do this. You go. I'll deal with Jeremy."

Kara sighs, looking down at Jeremy, who's climbing up the ladder in the front of the stage.

"Jeremy, wait a minute," Kara whispers to him.  
"I have to go down. Tommy's taking over this scene temporarily. He wants to experiment."

Jeremy raises an eyebrow.  
"What, so Spot and Jack can interact?" he whisper-asks.

Kara nods.  
"That's why I need to go down. Just... make something up. This isn't the filming, so we can mess around."

Jeremy is still confused.  
"We're supposed to be following the script, Kara. We'll get in trouble if we don't. If Spot's on the rooftop, how are we supposed to do the planned ending? This makes no sense!"

"Calm down, Jeremy," Kara says.  
"Tommy'll sort it out. It was his idea, after all."

Then Kara returns her attention to Tommy.  
"Tommy, Jeremy's worried. What are Jack and Spot gonna do?"

Tommy thinks for a moment.  
Then he says, "I think it would make sense that Spot confronts Jack about going through all the trouble of getting Brooklyn to help them with their strike just to turn his back on everyone.".

"And then what?" Kara asks.  
"How is Something to Believe In supposed to happen? And the whole Children's Crusade thing? And the ending? And Jack's meeting with Pulitzer to end the strike? And-"

"Kara. Calm down. I've got this."  
Tommy signals for Kara to climb down the back ladder to let him handle the plot.

"Okay... break a leg, Tommy," Kara says as she climbs down the back ladder.

Jeremy's eyes scan the rooftop scenery to find Tommy.  
"Tommy, you can't be doing this. That's not how it's supposed to work!"

"Jeremy, just come up and improv with me," Tommy replies.

"It was illegal to be gay in the 19th century!" Jeremy whisper-yells.

"I know! But this isn't real life! This is a play, Jeremy!"  
"But I can't kiss a guy! And Spot and Jack have no relationship at all! This is why Kara belongs up there and not you!"

Tommy sighs.  
"Jeremy, just come up here. You're way too late for your cue. I'll make it all work."

Jeremy, for the first time in his life, is hesitant to climb up the rooftop ladder. But he reaches the top of the ladder and gets into character.

Tommy leans against the side of the rooftop.

"So you decided to come up here to hide, Kelly," Tommy says, thickening his New York accent.  
"What a coward."

Jeremy stares at Tommy.  
"What are you doin' on my rooftop, Spot? You come to yell at me too?" Jeremy asks, applying his fake New York accent to his voice.

Tommy grabs his newsie cap off his head and flings it onto the ground.  
"In fact, yes, I did. You had your Manhattan idiots go through all that trouble convincing us we could help you just to turn your backs on them- and us from Brooklyn. Do you have any idea how long it takes to walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan?"

Tommy stops for a second just so Jeremy can retort.

"Pulitzer threatened my newsies, so I-I had to speak against the strike to ensure their safety!" Jeremy exclaims.  
"You wouldn't understand all that I've been through, organizin' the strike just so my boys have money to feed themselves. We're just tryin' to get by, Spot! Pulitzer raised the prices, so we need to get them back where they belong. And Pulitzer said he would fix the prices if I spoke against the strike. So that's what I did."

Tommy sighs.  
"Do you really believe him, dumbass? No. He ain't gonna do anything. You just betrayed everyone who trusted you, and now you can't do nothing."

'We need to get to the point,' Tommy tells himself.  
'What did Kara do?' 

His eyes dart to that container holding Jack's drawing of the Refuge.  
'Oh yeah, she mentioned those drawings! That's how the Children's Crusade part happened.' 

Tommy grabs the container.  
"Hey, Kelly, whatcha got in here?" he asks, pulling out the drawing.

Jeremy quickly grabs the container from Tommy.  
"Don't mess with my stuff!" he exclaims.

Tommy examines the drawing.  
"You draw? Not what I thought the big bad leader of Manhattan would do."

"Shut your mouth. When I draw, it has meaning."

"The Refuge," Tommy says, faking realization.  
"That's what this one is, right?"

Jeremy nods slowly.  
"Yeah. Crutchie was sent there for no reason. I drew that based on my experiences in the Refuge and on Crutchie's behalf."

"The Refuge was just horrible," Tommy says, trying to develop plot.  
"I was sent there when I was younger. Let me tell you, it was hell. And I heard over the grapevine that you once escaped there on Governor Roosevelt's carriage."

Jeremy looks at Tommy, confused.  
"You were sentenced to the Refuge once?" he asks.

Tommy nods.  
"I would've tried to escape, but I knew I'd get in trouble and my sentence would be lengthened."

He hands Jeremy the Refuge drawing.  
"And your drawing here, this is pretty decent."

"Well, it's not like you actually care about it," Jeremy says, switching his voice to sound a bit angry.  
"It has no meaning to you. You're just sayin' that t-"

"I complimented you!" Tommy exclaims.  
"You don't understand basic respect, do you? Okay then, bye. Stay up here forever if you want to."

Tommy turns to go back down the ladder, going down about two steps before Jeremy yells, "Conlon! Get back up here, I ain't done with you!".

Tommy turns his head to look at Jeremy.  
"I got no reason to. It's pretty clear you don't want me up here."

"I never said that!" Jeremy argues.  
"I-I was just saying the drawing meant nothing to you. It's just pencil to you."

Tommy returns to the rooftop, standing (almost) face-to-face to Jeremy.  
"Listen, Kelly, I don't want to hear your bitchin'. I just came up here to interrogate you about your decision."

Jeremy huffs.  
"Okay, okay, I get it, I didn't make a very smart decision," he says.

Then Jeremy softens his tone.  
"Spot, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so stupid. I'm not an idiot, okay?"

'How are we supposed to develop the plot like this?' Tommy asks himself as he looks at Jeremy.  
'Damn, he's hot.'

Tommy sighs to himself.  
"I can't believe I have to say this, but you're not stupid. I understand why you did what you did. If my newsies were in danger, I'd probably do the same thing."

"You would?" Jeremy asks me.

Tommy nods.  
"Yeah, I would. I'm just as much of a protective leader as you are."

Tommy was surprised this was going so well. None of this was planned, but seeing how Jeremy and Tommy were interacting as if they really were their characters, it seemed like it belonged in the show.  
Now, everything after the rally wouldn't be as the cast rehearsed this time, but it would still work out well in the end.

Tommy looks at Jeremy, waiting for him to say something.  
Then Jeremy speaks.

"Listen, Spot, I'm... sorry I acted the way I did down there. I know nobody will ever forgive me for my actions, but-"

Then, without thinking, Tommy interrupts Jeremy by bringing him down to his height and connecting their lips.

A mix of surprised gasps and loud cheers come from the back of the theater, and the two male actors break their kiss to stare back there.

Tommy and Jeremy break out of actor mode.

"Okay, I get that you approved of this, but seriously, Kara, do you have to-"  
Then Jeremy notices Kara has her phone out. She was recording the two on the rooftop the whole time...

Then Tommy notices this.  
"I-I what? You weren't! Tell me you weren't!"

Kara laughs.  
"Yep, I recorded the whole thing," she says.

Ben Cook is sitting next to her, smiling perhaps way too hard.  
"Kara, can I watch it?" he asks.

Kara nods, handing her phone to Ben to let him watch the video.

"Hey, let me and Sky watch too!" Josh Burrage says, he and his redheaded friend gathering around Ben to watch the video.

Tommy, still on the rooftop and about to come down, facepalms.  
"Jeremy, I'm sorry. I just was curious as to what would happen if I..."

"Tommy, it's okay," Jeremy tells him.  
"Like Kara said, this is only a dress rehearsal, so we're allowed to mess around."

Tommy turns away from Jeremy, climbing back down the ladder and sitting on the stage in embarrassment. Jeremy quickly follows him.

"Okay, we're done," Jeremy says loudly.  
"Kara, tell the people backstage that an incident came up and we have to end today's dress rehearsal."

Kara nods, running backstage.

Jeremy looks at Tommy. The Staten Islander avoids his gaze, upset with himself.

"Tommy, look at me," Jeremy says softly.

"I know, I broke the rules and messed everything up," Tommy says, not looking at Jeremy.

"No, no, that's not what I was gonna say. Tommy, please look at me."

Tommy's deep brown eyes meet Jeremy's dark green ones.  
Jeremy wraps Tommy in a hug, and Tommy sighs.

"I really shouldn't have tried to experiment with the whole Spot-on-the-rooftop thing," Tommy tells Jeremy.  
"I'm sorry."

"Tommy, you don't have to apologize," Jeremy tells Tommy.  
"I understand you wanted to try to do something different. We've been doing the same thing and following pretty much the same script since around 2011 when we started at the Papermill Playhouse."

Jeremy takes Tommy's hand, and Tommy leans onto Jeremy's shoulders.

"Jeremy?"  
"Hmm?"  
"What's your sexuality? Sorry I'm asking this out of the blue, but I just wanna know."

Jeremy shrugs.  
"Well, until about five minutes ago, I was straight. Now I'm really not sure."

"KISS! KISS! KISS!" Andrew Keenan-Bolger suddenly starts chanting from his seat in the top-back of the theater.

Ben Fankhauser erupts into laughter next to Andrew and starts enthusiastically chanting with him.  
Eventually everybody else starts chanting with them.

"Okay, okay!" Jeremy yells.  
"I'll kiss him. But only once."

Jeremy quickly pecks Tommy on the lips, letting go before Tommy has a chance to kiss back.  
"Jeremy, no, that didn't count," Tommy says, pulling Jeremy closer to him and connecting their lips again.  
The cast members in the back of the theater cheer like idiots.

Then Kara comes back from backstage.  
"What did I mi-"

Then she spots Jeremy and Tommy on the stage.  
"Um, okay, I missed a lot..."

She heads up the stairs to the seats that she and everybody else were sitting in and watches the seemingly never-ending gay kiss between Tommy Bracco and Jeremy Jordan.

Jeremy slowly pulls away. He averts his gaze, too flustered to look at Tommy after their little incident.  
Tommy, meanwhile, is smiling his ass off like the smol gay bean he is.

"You two would make a cute couple," Kara blurts out.

"I have a wife," Jeremy tells her.  
"Besides, me and Tommy are just friends."

Tommy chuckles.  
"Not gonna lie, I could totally tolerate dating him," he says.

"Don't get any more crazy ideas," Jeremy laughs.  
"If you kiss me again, you're gonna wish you hadn't."

"Oh, there's no way I'm gonna regret kissing you again," Tommy says.  
"Hell, in fact, I'm gonna kiss you again just because you said that."

Tommy places his lips on Jeremy's again, and Jeremy doesn't complain.

"Just date him already!" Ben Cook yells.  
Sky and Josh are laughing next to him.

"I totally would if he weren't married," Tommy mumbles while he and Jeremy continue kissing.

"What'd he say?" Ben asks.

"I'm pretty sure he said he totally would if Jeremy weren't married," Kara tells him.

At this point, Tommy and Jeremy are basically making out. 

Kara shakes her head, laughing.  
"How did we start with a normal dress rehearsal and end with this?" she asks.

Ben Fankhauser shrugs.  
"I mean, I'm not straining my voice with all of Davey's crazy riffs, so I'm down for whatever."

Jeremy breaks his and Tommy's kiss.  
"Tommy, your cap's still on the rooftop."

Tommy shrugs.  
"And yours is on the floor behind you, but that doesn't seem to be bothering you."

Tommy quickly retrieves his newsie cap from the rooftop and returns to Jeremy.

Then he grabs Jeremy's newsie cap and his own and throws them onto the floor in front of the stage.  
"Okay, now we don't have to deal with either of the newsie caps."

Jeremy laughs.  
"You're so weird," he tells Tommy.

"Yeah, I know," Tommy replies, kissing Jeremy's chin.  
"I'm the weirdest person on the planet. But only for you."

Tommy knows he's sinning for being in love with an already-married man, but he doesn't care. He loves Jeremy and you can't change that. 

Jeremy looks at Tommy.  
"No going on the rooftop next time; good Tommies don't do that," he mockingly scolds.

"I promise I won't do it next time, Jer-bear," Tommy coos.

"You can't kiss me in the middle of any show or rehearsal either," Jeremy adds.  
"Especially not after you push me. You can't kiss me as an apology."

Tommy smirks.  
"Not even during the finale or curtain call?" he asks.

Jeremy shakes his head.  
"Not any time during the show. You can kiss me during intermission, okay?"

"Okay," Tommy says simply.

Tommy kisses Jeremy softly, and Jeremy kisses him back.

"Okay, who wants to go out to eat, since dress rehearsal is over?" Kara asks.

Tommy looks at Jeremy.  
"Jeremy, can we go?" he asks.

Jeremy nods.  
"Yeah. I'm hungry anyway."

Jeremy and Tommy get up and follow everyone to the dressing rooms.

I wonder how this would actually go in real life if Tommy did that...  
Irl Tommy probably wouldn't do that tbh.

**Author's Note:**

> I got this amazing idea during Gym class.  
Plus people just need to appreciate Conlly (Spot x Jack) more.
> 
> And now I've realized how much I need Tommy x Jeremy in my life, so there will definitely be more Tommy x Jeremy in the future.  
I'm probably the only Tommy x Jeremy shipper in the universe, but fuck that. I'll die for this ship.


End file.
